Palestine Coalition protest: Peter Tatchell arrested at rally in central London | EUROtoday

Renowned activist Peter Tatchell has been arrested at a pro-Palestine march in central London, his basis stated on Saturday.

Mr Tatchell, 74, was arrested, it stated, over a placard studying: “Globalise the intifada: Non-violent resistance. End Israel’s occupation of Gaza & West Bank.”

In a press release launched by the Peter Tatchell Foundation, Mr Tatchell stated Saturday’s arrest was “an attack on free speech”.

He stated: “The police claimed the word intifada is unlawful. The word intifada is not a crime in law.

“The police are engaged in overreach by making it an arrestable offence.

“This is part of a dangerous trend to increasingly restrict and criminalise peaceful protests.”

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Mr Tatchell stated “intifada”, an Arab phrase, means “uprising, rebellion or resistance against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza”.

He added: “It does not mean violence and is not antisemitic. It is against the Israeli regime and its war crimes, not against Jewish people.”

Mr Tatchell was taken to Sutton police station to be detained, in accordance with his basis.

The Metropolitan Police stated in December that protesters chanting “globalise the intifada” could be arrested as a result of the “context has changed” within the wake of the Bondi Beach terror assault.

In a publish on X, the Met stated: “Officers policing the Palestine Coalition protest have arrested a 74-year-old man on suspicion of a public order offence. He was seen carrying a sign including the words ‘globalise the intifada’.”

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Mr Tatchell had been marching close to law enforcement officials and with the signal on show for a couple of mile from Russell Square to the highest of the Strand when the group got here throughout a counterprotest, in accordance with a witness.

At that time, he was stopped and “manhandled by 10 officers”, in accordance with Jacky Summerfield, who was with him.

“I was shoved back behind a cordon of officers and unable to speak to him after that,” she stated.

“I couldn’t get any closer to hear anything more than that; it was for Section 5 [of the Public Order Act].

“There had been no issue until that, he was walking near the police officers,” she added.

“Nobody had said or done anything.”